


The River Runs Fast

by flippednique



Series: First Love [5]
Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types
Genre: Connor goes on a quest, M/M, Mitchell has to stay at camp for reasons, What's going to happen to the children of love?, prophecies and dreams, there will be other side pairings, wow it's a multichap
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-17
Updated: 2018-08-21
Packaged: 2019-06-28 16:41:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 10,270
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15711192
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/flippednique/pseuds/flippednique
Summary: "I think it was more of a premonition and I can’t, I’m not capable of telling exactly when it’s going to happen.”“That’s okay.” Annabeth tells him. “What did you see?”“Fire.”  Will says. “There was fire, and a body. A-““A funeral pyre.” Sherman knows instantly. “Someone’s going to die.”“Did you see who it was?” Jason says looking around the room. “There haven’t been any quests for a while.”“No.” Mitchell agrees. “The last quest was the one all seven of you went on.”“Will,” Connor licks his lip nervously. “Did you see anything, anything at all, that could clue us in?”The sun child shook his head. “No.”





	1. The One With The Councilors Meeting

“What’s your favorite fairytale?” The question is random, as Mitchell’s always found something to talk about whenever he had the rare chance to be with Connor. They’re supposed to be inspecting the cabins, with Mitchell filling in for Piper who was visiting her dad for reason. He was sure they weren’t going to get too distracted (hopefully).

 

The son of Hermes is fiddling with a lock on one of the Ares cabin’s weapons cabinets with his tongue poking out from between his lips as he unlocks and then locks it again, in a way that whoever owns it is probably going to have a hard time opening it again. “What?”

 

Mitchell gives him a fond but exasperated look choosing to ignore this criminal act. “Fairytales? Did your mom ever read you any when you were young? Also I think that’s Xiao’s or Dete’s cabinet. You might wanna pick your battles.”

 

“I think she did, at some point.” Connor thinks about it, ceasing his lock picking only half because of Mitchell’s warning. “I mean she wasn’t really around much. She knew we were different. Dad only ever showed up again when Travis was born and she got pregnant with me. He sent her gifts, you know, to help out but he’s always been a stickler for the rules. Which I find incredibly contradicting as we’ve always found ways to go around them.”

 

“True.” Mitchell nods encouragingly. “Mom hasn’t exactly been a candidate for mother of the year herself.”

 

“Are any of them really?” Connor asks but there’s not a hint of malice in his voice. Sometimes there was a beauty in acceptance. “Fairytales huh. What’s yours?”

 

“Oh, all the classics. _Sleeping Beauty, Beauty and The Beast, Cinderella.”_ Mitchell sighs wistfully. “It was maybe a bit macabre for a kid sometimes, my mom and dad would admit that to anyone any day.”

 

“Macabre?” Connor says. “I mean, sure there are some concepts that are weird to an adult but I think it all just flies by a kid’s head.”

 

“What? No, wait. I’m talking about the stories.” Mitchell clarifies. “Not Disney.”

 

“Oh.” Connor says. “Wait, those movies were originally books?”

 

“Yeah!” Mitchell laughs. “I’m sure someone in the Athena Cabin has one if not an entire collection. We can go borrow a copy and I’ll show you.”

 

“It’s a date.” Connor grins. He makes a show of looking around the Ares cabin, but of course Sherman’s managed to make it presentable for cabin inspection.

 

Lou Ellen and Butch are the ones inspecting the Athena Cabin though so Mitchell and Connor will just have to stop by on their own time. They inspect the Hermes cabin, which was mostly Mitchell raising a brow at Connor wondering where all their ‘borrowed’ things were and his boyfriend sends him grin after grin, completely cool as a cucumber (cucumbers weren’t as obnoxious though) confident that his secrets were secure.

 

“Race you to the Big House?” Connor asks him with a tilt of his head, his shoulders bunched up in excitement and the preparation to dash.

 

Mitchell nods his head. “Three.”

 

“Two.”

 

“One!”

 

It’s childish. And they both know Connor’s going to win, it was in the genes after all. Connor slows down enough that they’re nearly side-by-side the whole time and the child of Aphrodite laughs and smacks at his shoulder.

 

“What’s the point of racing if you’re going to keep pace with me?”

 

“Well, I never want to be behind you or in front of you.” Connor smiles at him. “Always beside you.”

 

“And you say you can’t think of romantic lines by yourself.” Mitchell’s familiar with the warmth in his cheeks by now. He takes Connor’s hand and they make their way to the rec room together.

 

The rest of the councilors are already there and since they were seated by cabin number where even sat on the left and odd sat on the right, Mitchell and Connor went their separate ways.

The child of Aphrodite is surprised to see Vhic at the meeting; the child of Hypnos sitting leaned back in her chair, eyes half closed. “Hey Vhic, where’s Clovis?”

 

“Sleeping.”

 

“Oh.” Mitchell nods. “Filling in for him?”

 

“Yeah.” Vhic makes a thoughtful noise. “Dad visited him all night last night so he was basically up all night.”

 

“Oh, is that why we’re having the meeting?”

 

Vhic only has the energy to nod at him and Mitchell won’t hold it against her. The children of Hypnos were always a little extra tired if their father showed up in one of their dreams. It was all interconnected; he was sure Vhic probably caught glimpse of whatever it was that happened in Clovis’ dream.

 

A small piece of paper flies across the room and bounces harmlessly against Mitchell’s chest and almost immediately his eyes narrow on Connor who is suspiciously in mid-conversation with Sherman about how cabin inspections went that morning.

 

The only thing that gives him away is the quick sidelong glance Connor sends him and he retaliates with a soft kick from under the table.

 

Of course Connor kicks back.

Before, what was surely, a competitive round of footsie could begin Chiron’s clip-clopping hooves announced his presence and the councilors pulled themselves into a manner of attention.

 

Chiron dips his head in greeting to all of them. “I’m relieved to see this table full again.”

 

A moment of silence occurs as they each appreciate the weight of that statement. In total, seated around the table are Jason, Percy, Katie, Sherman, Annabeth, Will, Leo, Mitchell, Connor, Pollux, Nico, Butch, Vhic, Laurel, Holly, and Lou Ellen.

 

“I can only hope it stays this way.”

 

“Well doesn’t that sound foreboding?” Percy starts, sending the rest of the councilors a look.

 

They all chuckle appreciatively at Percy’s icebreaker all except Will who’s rubbing circles into the sides of his head.

 

“What’s wrong with you, Sunshine?” Sherman asks bluntly.

 

“Yeah, Will. Not looking very sunny.”

 

“Thanks Jason.” Will mutters. He tries to smile but it comes of more as a grimace.

 

Nico is sending him a concerned look. “Kayla can sub for you, you know.”

 

“Nah, Dad sent the vision to me.” Will says through gritted teeth. “And it must be important for it to hurt so bad when it’s been hours after. It usually just… fades away.”

 

“Like Nico after shadow travelling too much?”

 

“Yeah, Lou.” Will lets out a loud breath. “Anyways, the dream. Um, I think it was more of a premonition and I can’t, I’m not capable of telling exactly when it’s going to happen.”

 

“That’s okay.” Annabeth tells him. “What did you see?”

 

“Fire.” Will says. “There was fire, and a body. A-“

 

“A funeral pyre.” Sherman knows instantly. “Someone’s going to die.”

 

“Did you see who it was?” Jason says looking around the room. “There haven’t been any quests for a while.”

 

“No.” Mitchell agrees. “The last quest was the one all seven of you went on.”

 

“Will,” Connor licks his lip nervously. “Did you see anything, anything at all, that could clue us in?”

 

The sun child shook his head. “No.”

 

“No?” Percy echoes. “Nada? Not even hair color? Height? Was it a girl? A boy?”

 

“He said no, Percy, back off.” Nico sends the son of Poseidon a glare.

 

Percy brushes it off easily.

 

Annabeth’s face looks calculating. “How do we know that it’s a premonition?”

 

“How about the fact that Will looks like he’s on death’s door?” Lou Ellen remarks. “No offence buddy.”

 

“None taken, Lou.” Will slumps in his seat. “I’m not the only one with news. Someone wake Vhic up.”

 

Holly and Laurel both reach over to shake the child of Hypnos who blinks at them. “I was having a dream.”

 

“Nothing prophetic, I hope.” Jason mutters.

 

“Nah, dad doesn’t do prophecies.” Vhic yawns and collectively the rest of them yawn too. “Oops, sorry.”

 

Mitchell shakes his head, trying to clear it from the sudden wave of sleepiness. Wow, that was strong.

 

“What did you dream about?” Butch asks.

 

“It was Clovis, Dad was warning him about something waking someone. The dream’s really fuzzy. Just that someone disturbed someone they shouldn’t have.” Vhic frowns at them all. “I’d understand the warning and take it seriously if I were you. Wake a child of Hypnos and lose maybe ten days worth of memories.”

 

A collective chill goes through the entire room.

 

“Yeah, mad respect for all of you.” Jason shudders and shakes his head. “Losing memories is just the absolute worse.”

 

“Let’s just all be careful not to wake anyone, okay?” Pollux says in an effort to diffuse the tension.

 

“Agreed.” Chiron nods. “Any demigods who are called for a quest will have to take extra precautions but I don’t think we’ll have to worry about anyone who’s at camp.”

 

“I guess it’s a good thing summer’s started again and everybody’s practically here.” Butch makes a thoughtful noise. “I guess we can Iris call all the others who aren’t here to let them know the be extra careful.”

 

“Is there really no way we can get more out of that premonition of yours, Will?” Annabeth pushes. “Maybe Clovis can pull out the memory and-“

 

Nico smacks his hands on the table. “No. You’re not messing with his memories Annabeth.”

 

“But if it can help,” Annabeth starts then seems to change her mind and shuts it when Percy’s the one who gives her a look to drop the subject obviously remembering his own messed up memories that time.

 

Will groans into his hands. “Sorry I can’t be any more help, guys. You know how the gods work. Dad might even get another punishment for reaching out to me when he shouldn’t be.”

 

Percy pats his shoulder. “It’s fine man. Some warning is better than no warning at all.”

 

The rest of the demigods present agree and Chiron dismisses the meeting in time for lunch.

 

Connor makes his way to the dining pavilion with Mitchell’s fingers threaded through his. The metal of the guard ring around the son of Aphrodite’s ring finger was cool even in the summer heat and it warms Connor’s heart to feel it.

 

“ _One Thousand and One Nights.”_

 

“What?”

 

“My favorite fairytale.” Connor clarifies with a grin. “One Thousand and One Nights.”

 

“I don’t think I’ve heard of that.” Mitchell’s nose wrinkles slightly. “What’s it about?”

 

“Well, there are, to be honest, a lot of versions. I mean, what fairytale has only one version, right?” Connor begins. “It’s about this king. He ruled a land and was beloved by his people.”

 

“Oh, good. I thought he’d be, like typically hated.”

 

“I’m getting to that part.”

 

“Figures.”

 

“Right. So then, the king had a brother who would come to him telling him about his wife who was incredibly unfaithful.” Connor rolls his eyes. “How you could possibly cheat on your significant other is still something I cannot fathom.”

 

“True, it’s better to break up.”

 

“When the King found out he told his wife and upon hearing all the things the king called his sister-in-law, went off in an angry tangent about how just because one cheated did not make them immoral or any of the awful things the king said.”

 

Mitchell is listening, absolutely riveted. There’s something absolutely beautiful in the way Connor tells stories. His eyes are alive with enthusiasm and passion, his eyebrows woefully expressive as they draw together and relax on his face, his voice lowers and rises with emotion, and his hand, the one that’s free, would move as he talks.

 

Connor put his everything into _anything_ and _everything_ and it made Mitchell fall a little harder, a little deeper. Their conversations always manage to sweep him away, like he’d just been standing at the bank and here comes the rushing current. And oh how Mitchell welcomes it, is excited for it. It doesn’t matter that the river runs fast, Mitchell isn’t drowning.

 

“Why was she reacting like that?”

 

“Cause,” Connor pauses for that dramatic effect. “She was being unfaithful herself.”

 

Mitchell plays into it and gasps. “No way!”

 

“Yeah!”

 

“And what did the king do?”

 

“What most kings do in fairytales.” Connor sighs. “He had her killed. Had an executioner chop her head off.”

 

“Ouch.” Mitchell’s hand creeps up to his neck and he rubs at it like he’s afraid he’d get his neck cut off too. “That’s your favorite fairytale?!”

 

“It’s not finished!” Connor tells him.

 

“Oh, sorry.” Mitchell laughs when Connor kisses the back of his hand. “Go on.”

 

Connor looks very excited to do just that but they both startle when arms wrap around their shoulders and they’re forced to let go to give the body squeezing in between them some space.

 

“Aren’t you two cute?”

 

“Not cool, bro.” Connor grumbles.

 

“Yeah, I did not miss you doing this Travis.” Mitchell adds on.

 

The son of Hermes laughs and squeezes them closer to his sides. “The grumpier you get the more I end up doing this. I thought you’d notice by now. I guess you were too lost in your own little world, huh? I think some Ares kids started barfing because you were too cute.”

 

“They can mind their own business.” Connor says. “We’re not hurting anyone.”

 

“Right.” Travis grins some more. “I mean I’m not saying you are, but if I let you stay in your little world you’ll end up missing lunch. Today’s the day we have all the Hermes kids together and I’m sure you don’t wanna miss that.”

 

“We were on our way to lunch!” Connor protests but allows his big brother to herd him and his boyfriend like sheep.

 

“If not for me, you’d never get there.”

 

Mitchell enjoys seeing them together again, as much as he loves Connor and sometimes got infuriated with Travis for how badly he meddled in their relationship (unintentionally mostly) he appreciates how much the two light up when they were together.

 

Travis lets go of Mitchell once they’re past the doors of the dining pavilion and grab something for them to burn at Hestia’s hearth. They offer short prayers before Travis is leading Connor off with a hand wrapped around his wrist.

 

“I’ll finish the story later!” Connor yells at him.

 

Mitchell laughs and waves. “Okay.”

 

“See you later babydoll!”

 

Mitchell laughs again then he joins his siblings, dreams of funeral pyres and warnings from gods momentarily forgotten, especially when Drew raises her perfectly shaped brow at him.

 

“ _Babydoll_?”

 

Mitchell feels his cheeks flush. “He thought it was a little more original than Angel.”

 

“You obviously like it.” Lacy says through a mouthful of her salad. “I personally think that’s all that matters.”

 

“I agree.” Valentina nods then winks at Mitchell. “Ain’t that right, _babydoll_?”

 

Mitchell glares at all his siblings. “It’s not the same when you guys say it.”

 

Yes. Funeral pyres, warnings from gods, totally forgotten.

 


	2. The One With The Border

“Hey there baby doll.” Mitchell sighs and catches the approaching teen in his arms, letting them drape around his shoulders, nestling his face into Connor’s neck.

 

Connor’s incredibly surprised by the reaction but wraps his own arms instinctively around Mitchell. “Woah, hey. Hey, you okay?”

 

“Yeah,” Mitchell sighs again and rests his full weight, confident that Connor could keep him upright. “My siblings were just teasing me a lot at lunch.”

 

“About what?”

 

“Baby doll.”

 

“Oh.”

 

“I like it.” Mitchell tells him honestly. “It totally suits your Brooklyn accent.”

 

“Hmm, is that one of the only things you like about me?” Connor asks, only mildly curious.

 

Mitchell echoes the teasing tone. “Maybe? I mean, I know you only love me for my French accent.”

 

“Do I?”

 

“ _Oui_.”

 

“Man, we’re messed up.”

 

“Yeah.” Mitchell pulls back and gives Connor’s side a hearty smack. “How was lunch with your siblings?”

 

“Oh gods, I’d rather not talk about it.” Connor laughs. “A lot of things happened, but no one’s ever going to speak about any of it, unless they want to unleash the wrath of every other Hermes kid, and then some. I’d recommend you stay innocent and ask no more questions. Trust me.”

 

“Okay baby doll.” Mitchell snorts. “I’ll take your word for it. Wanna go find a spot by the lake and you can finishing telling me your story?”

 

“Yeah.” Connor leads the way, and he doesn’t wait to find a spot before he continues. They always go around looking for ‘a spot’ but everybody in camp knows that there was a spot that was _theirs_. “So, the king had her beheaded, right? He didn’t stop there.”

 

“He had every unfaithful person killed?” Mitchell guesses, letting his feet lead him as well as Connor to their tree.

 

“Worse.” Connor pauses, ready to throw in the dramatics. “He couldn’t be king without a queen. He needed to get married but he was afraid, no, he was sure that any woman and all women were bound to become unfaithful if they weren’t cheating from the start!”

 

“Thank god neither of us are women.” Mitchell makes a thoughtful noise. “Damn, that king’s incredibly sexist.”

 

“Yeah. And since that’s what he believed in, every day he got married to a new woman and to make sure she’d never get the chance to cheat on him, he had her killed the next morning before the next wedding.”

 

“What?!” Mitchell shakes Connor’s arm. “Isn’t that like, breaking the sacred vows of marriage or something? Wouldn’t Hera intervene?”

 

“I don’t think the gods existed in this story.” Connor’s eyebrows pull together. “And I think he’s technically not breaking any vows. What are the traditional vows even?”

 

Mitchell recites them, knowing them by heart at this age after reading so many stories and planning almost every single wedding possible, an Aphrodite child’s past time. It’s turned many of his siblings into incredibly successful events planners, if not some of the very best wedding planners in the whole of America. “I, Mitchell Reeves take thee Connor Stoll, to be my wedded husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death do us part.”

 

The child of Aphrodite makes a thoughtful noise. “Or they could have just like, said I do. Kept it simple like, maybe they can’t get too many words through the tears. That would make any promises void since they didn’t exactly swear on anything. They’ve just accepted the other as their spouse. Are you okay, Connor?”

 

“I’m great.” The child of Hermes seems to bite this out through gritted teeth and Mitchell’s worry grows.

 

“Are you sick? You’re a little red.”

 

“I’m totally fine.” Connor insists, his voice a little high. He clears his throat and takes the last few steps to their spot. “Let’s sit down! This looks like a good spot.”

 

“Sure. And it’s a great spot.”

 

 _It’s our spot_.

 

Mitchell follows Connor and sits on the green grass under the shade of one of their many trees. They smile at the dryad who’s preening by the lake’s surface and she sends them a flurry of flowers.

 

Mitchell reaches his hand out to play with one of the just blossomed daisies.

 

Connor clears his throat. “Um, where were we?”

 

“Marriage vows.”

 

“B-Before that!”

 

“The king had his queens killed.”

 

“Right.” Connor clears his throat again. “Right, um. So, he was very specific about what he wanted. They had to be virgins, so her loyalty would be his from the start.”

 

“Odd way to think about it.”

 

“Agreed.” Connor continues. “So, he was bound to run out of virgins to wed and kill.”

 

“I’ll say.”

 

“Are you ever going to let me finish my story? Not that I do not absolutely love the sound of your voice, babydoll. I really love it. I’m just gonna end up distracted by it and I’ll never finish this story.”

 

Mitchell laughs and makes a point to zip his mouth close after pressing a kiss to Connor’s cheek.

 

“Love it.” Connor grins. “Anyways, so it’s always different who the last queen is. Some says it was the king’s adviser’s daughter, some say it was an ostracized widow whose husband died before they could consummate the marriage. It doesn’t matter who she was because at the end of the story she was the Queen who Lived.”

 

The son of Hermes playfully unlocks the imaginary lock on Mitchell’s lips when it looked like he wanted to say something.

 

Mitchell chuckles at being unzipped. “How’d she do it?”

 

“The very same thing you’re doing to me.” Connor reaches a hand to push back Mitchell’s fringe. “She talked to him.”

 

“She just talked?” Mitchell asks.

 

“Well, she told him stories.” Connor clarifies sheepishly. “Really long, elaborate stories that were filled with action! Drama! And most importantly,”

 

“Love?” Mitchell throws in.

 

Connor shakes his head at him. “Cliffhangers.”

 

“Oh.” Mitchell’s eyes widen. “Wow, that was smart of her.”

 

“Right? The king couldn’t bring it upon himself to kill her when he wanted to know how the stories would end. Each one was different, and yes, some of them had love in it, but the queen didn’t capitalize on stories about love because she didn’t want to provoke the king.”

 

“I see.” Mitchell hums and leans back against the tree near them and Connor takes advantage of that and sprawls on the grass so his head’s resting on Mitchell’s lap. “Did the king love her?”

 

“The Queen? Well, not at first. I mean he learned to love her. She was charismatic and she wasn’t afraid of him. Well, she was, but she didn’t show it.”

 

“Not her,” Mitchell says softly. There’s something sad in his eyes, clear even though they were a muted gray, like the clouds before a terrible storm, their color so clear even through the plastic of his contacts. “The first queen. Did he love the first queen?”

 

Connor frowns. “Some say he did. That it killed him to order her death, that he regretted it afterwards. That part of the reason why he had every new queen killed was so that he wouldn’t ever have to become that attached ever again.”

 

“That _is_ a nice story.” Mitchell says after a while of thinking. The summer breeze passes through them, ruffling their hair, and the sun was shy of reaching them where they lounged protected by their tree of the afternoon. “Lots of things to talk about when you’re a kid. Who told you that story?”

 

“I read about it.” Connor confesses. “Travis and I used to go to a small primary school and you don't really do much but color and stuff while you’re there but I remember my teacher, she encouraged me to read and I kinda developed a liking for it.”

 

“They had a book like that within reach of little kids?” Mitchell asks, running his fingers through Connor’s curls. “You’re using that conditioner I got you.”

 

“Yeah, no tangles and silky smooth.” Connor echoes the bottle’s promo statement.

 

Mitchel beams at him proudly.

 

Connor laughs at the look. “No, the primary school didn’t have that book. I stole it from the town bookstore. My first grand theft.”

 

“How old were you?” Mitchell wonders.

 

“I was six.” Connor closes his eyes. “Mom didn’t really have a lot of money and we were living in one of the biggest cities in the world. Travis stole more often, food and clothes. He didn’t, at first, he thought I shouldn’t have to do that.”

 

“Your big brother loves you a whole lot.” Mitchell notes.

 

“Yeah.” Connor catches the hand combing through his hair and pulls it close to his lips for a kiss. “I’m so glad you guys are getting along better now.”

 

“Travis and I never really butt heads before.” Mitchell says carefully. “I mean, I don’t appreciate how much he meddles in our relationship but I understand he’s just really protective of you.”

 

“I know.” Connor kisses his hand again. “The story has a lot of stories woven into it, like I said. Some of the characters in the stories told stories of their own. That book was a thousand stories in one.”

 

“Where is it now?”

 

“I lost it.” Connor says regretfully. “A monster attacked us in broad daylight at Central Park and it was all the satyr could do to get us out of there and here to Camp. Never did managed to go back to it, someone else probably has it now.”

 

“I’m sure the Athena cabin has a copy of that.”

 

Connor shakes his head. “It wouldn’t be the same. That one, that one was special. But it’s okay,” he says upon Mitchell’s sad frown. “I don’t need the book to remember how reading that made me feel. It was an adventure in every page. And, hey, we go on adventures a lot too. I mean we’ve been in a war and everything.”

 

“Two wars.” Mitchell says with emphasis. “Can’t believe we survived that.”

 

“We’re lucky.” Connor shrugs. “I mean, I know it’s a testament to our skills that we’re still alive but I think that it just wasn’t our time. I hadn’t even found you in the way I have you now.”

 

“Are you saying we were meant to happen all this time?”

 

“Well, yeah.” Connor’s his heart goes thump-thump-thump when Mitchell leans down to kiss him. It’s short, sweet, and has them both grinning like idiots after.

 

They spend the rest of the afternoon there, under the shade of their tree. They’re in the middle of debating the pros (“We were in charge the whole time they were in school, I’m pretty sure they’re _enjoying_ their chores right about now. We’re doing our siblings favors. They owe us!”) And cons (“What if they think they’re being kind and giving us time together and we end up owing _them_. Ever think about that?”) of returning to their respective cabins to help do their chores when the skies above them grow dark too early into the afternoon.

 

“What’s going on?” Connor asks sitting up, carefully so he doesn’t knock heads with Mitchell.

 

“I don’t know.”

 

The two of them gets to their feet and join the semi-formed crowd of demigods at the edge of camp, so close to the border.

 

“Is that?” Connor is squinting; raising his hand to shield his eyes from what little sun there was left to see well.

 

Mitchell, with his contacts, could see just fine.

 

“ _Piper_!”

 

Jason flies by them so fast it comes with a gust of wind hard enough to nearly knock them off their feet.

 

“She’s got a kid with her!”

 

“Is that a satyr?!”

 

“Someone’s after them!”

 

Mitchell’s sprinting towards the edge of the barrier with Connor hot on his heels. Several other present demigods, the older ones, are running with them, trying to get there before anything bad can happen.

 

Nico pops up somewhere near Piper faster than Jason can get to her from a shadow of trees and his Stygian sword swinging towards a monster only few would recognize. Mitchell sure as hell didn’t.

 

Mitchell’s heart leaps in his throat, as extremely sharp claws became inches away from scraping at Piper’s back (narrowly only missing the child on it), adrenaline pushing them all to move faster. He unstraps Moira from his wrist, and shakes it so it can shift from bracelet to bow and Catherine shoves some arrows into his other hand.

 

“Watch out!” Someone yells just as Mitchell, Dete, and Cedric cross the border and are nearly squashed by the monster that showed out of nowhere. Catherine’s prevented from moving any further, the monster standing between the border and them.

 

There’s a loud piercing whistle, not as potent as Will’s but clearly a child of Apollo’s that makes the monsters stagger back, buying them time, but only just barely enough for Nico to take a stab at monster closest to Piper and Mitchell scrambles to fire an arrow or two into the eyes or the neck.

 

Jason flies close to use his own sword on the monster standing between the borer and Mitchell, Dete, and Cedric move to surround Piper and the kid, trying to get them through the border since Nico and Jason were busy distracting the monsters.

 

Keyword, distract. Not kill. A single demigod isn’t capable of killing a monster.

 

_“Wretched child of Hadesssssssss! Your father employ our brothersssssss and sisterssssss to do hissssss work in the Underworld and thisssss issss how you repay ussssss? By taking our livessssss!”_

“I’m not the one trying to kill demigods. You started this yourself.” Nico says, delivering a very precise hit to a hind leg. “Get out of here or I really will take your life.”

 

 _“Foolssssssssss.”_ The monster hisses, staring at Nico with big yellow eyes. The one Jason is fighting is retreating as well. “ _There’sssss no point protecting the children of love. Their own mother will abandon them soon enough.”_

Mitchell stills, as the monster seems to be staring straight at him.

 

“ _Jussssst watch, they will not be healed, not be saved. They will pay for their mothersss transsssgressionssssss. And they brought it upon themselvessssss waking the massssssster.”_

It all happens so fast. Someone screams, there’s movement from the monsters, and then there’s only blinding pain.

 

_“Starting with him.”_

 

Mitchell falls to his knees, but even that is too hard to manage. His head hits the ground, a ringing in his ears, and pain, absolutely excruciating pain blossoming in his stomach.

 

More sounds, more voices, more screaming, the whistle, then hands on his body, moving him, warmth cupping his face.

He feels cold.

 

Then nothing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And so it begins, with Mitchell apparently. I did say there wouldn't be any major character deaths but well, things can always change and tags can be added. Bear with me, I'm still sifting through things ahahaha
> 
> I'm sorry if the action scenes aren't as well written as most. I'm not very big on action and I couldn't find a monster that would suit my purpose so I had to keep it generalized as monster. 
> 
> I've now really run out of pre-written chapters but I'm sure the next one won't be too far along.
> 
> Cheers!


	3. The One With The Gods

Connor’s not sure he’s ever been this afraid his whole life. There’s the time he had almost gotten hit by one of the Roman demigods back in the second war, there’s also the time he had stolen that book of fairytales and he was so young back then, so afraid.

 

Then there was now.

 

Mitchell’s body is convulsing even with the half a dozen children of Apollo circling him, singing hymns and glowing a bright light. He couldn’t see much because of the light. It’s starting to get on his nerves, if they weren’t so already jumbled and out of place, that is.

 

Travis is a solid presence behind him, a warm hand on his shoulder. It doesn’t register though; it was something being taken for granted as the norm. The younger son of Hermes’s entire focus is on the son of Aphrodite on the treating cot. Table. Whatever in Hades it is they called it.

 

There’s a feeling in his stomach that could only be likened to a punch in the gut and Connor’s not sure when Travis starts to pull him back or when staring at Mitchell turns into staring at the rec room while sitting on the Ping-Pong table after being forcibly taken out of the infirmary.

 

“You’re not doing anyone any favors being in there.” Travis tells him with a stern look on his face, like he believes Connor will fight him.

 

But no, Connor can’t make heads or tails of anything. He doesn’t have enough clarity to even glare at Travis. All he can see is Mitchell falling, falling, _and falling_ , after a blow in the stomach that doesn’t bleed or even tear. Something was wrong and they couldn’t figure out what and it was slowly eating him in the inside. Literally. Figuratively.

 

“ **Connor**.”

 

The younger of the brothers’ head snaps up and Travis is shaking him by the shoulders, blue eyes staring right back into blue. “You need to get yourself together. I know you’re scared and you’re shaken, but this is Mitchell. He’s strong; you know how strong he is. He’s going to be just fine. You need to pull through for him.”

 

Connor shakes his head, but Travis moves one hand from his shoulder to grasp at his chin, forcing him to stay, stopping him from drifting off. “No, you can’t detach yourself. Mitchell is going to come back to us, and he’s going to be absolutely devastated to see you in pieces. You need to be strong just as much for him, for your siblings, and yourself. We’re going to bounce back from this.”

 

“But what if-“

 

“No. We’re going to bounce back from this.” Travis repeats to him firmly. “We always do. We’ve been through worse.”

 

Have they? Why has it never felt like this before? The wars? Yeah, he had been afraid, very afraid. For his life, for Travis’ life, for Cecil, Alice, Julia, Jess and all his other siblings and everyone in camp, every friend he’s ever made, the family he’s found.

 

But this was different.

 

This is someone he chooses to love not out of obligation, but out of trust, out of the relationship they’ve built together. This is someone Connor’s learnt to please, to comfort, to show his deepest and innermost thoughts to.

 

_‘I, Mitchell Reeves take thee Connor Stoll, to be my wedded husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death do us part.’_

 

Someone he’s jokingly thought of spending a future with.

 

And he is very close to losing it all.

 

His mind spits images out at him like a broken printer and it’s flashes of the same eyes that come in bursts of different colors. Blue, green, grey, and the occasional abnormal pink that looks odd but throws in a celestial feel to it all. Then it stops, the eyes turn brown, the kind of brown that changes into a hundred different colors all on its own when the sun hits it, a spattering of greens and greys and they were _Mitchell_ ’s.

 

Mitchell’s real eye color that he seems to think were absolutely plain and so changes it as often as he thought of an interesting topic to share with him. Which was, all the time. And Connor sees them now, framed by the rose gold of his hair, he can even hear Mitchell’s voice asking him if he should dye it a different color now that his dark roots were coming back in full display. It’s such a deep contrast to his last actual look at Mitchell, his skin pale and his body convulsing even in the hands of sleep. Or whatever it was that was keeping him awake, it couldn’t be as simple as Hypnos’ touch.

 

Connor makes a broken noise and Travis pulls him into a hug then, letting him burry his face into his older brother’s shoulder. He doesn’t cry, because Travis’ presence and solid reminder seems to stop him. Seems to put a pause in the way he thinks his entire body is breaking into a million, itty-bitty pieces that even Athena herself wouldn’t be able to puzzle back together. “Will is in there, and so are some of our camp’s best healers. Nico is also keeping tabs on his life force. He’s going to be okay.”

 

_Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall._

_Humpty Dumpty had a great fall._

_All the king’s horses and all the king’s men._

_Couldn’t put Humpty together again._

 

There’s a sudden flurry of movement, a lot of people enter the rec room and they look like they’ve just gotten back from the infirmary themselves.

 

Connor’s eyes focus but he doesn’t comprehend what he’s seeing. The other head councilors are moving to sit around someone too small for him to see over the tops of their heads. It takes a moment to register. It’s the kid.

The kid Piper had brought with her.

 

“What’s your name sweetie?” Lacy (seemingly Aphrodite cabin’s representative since Mitchell— _stop thinking about it Connor, just stop!)_ Asks the little kid sweetly.

 

The little girl seems to shy away from her, but at the same time, she inches forward in a bid for comfort. Connor sympathizes, or would if he wasn’t so damn shaken.

 

Chiron’s hooves make their customary clip-clop as he moves from the infirmary to the rec room to welcome the new demigod. Because of course business has to continue as usual, it’s not like there was a resident camper on the verge of de-.

 

Connor grits his teeth and tries to reign in his negative emotions. The kid has had a rude introduction to the camp, riding the back of a demigod as they ran away from a monster. She was either someone very powerful, or it was Piper that attracted attention. Either way, she doesn’t need Connor being an absolute jerk on top of it.

 

Not that Connor doesn’t have a valid reason to make like an Ares kid and start smashing at shit. Hulk was so relatable right now. So unbelievably relatable.

 

Much to his surprise, Chiron approaches him and not the new demigod, placing a hand on his shoulder the same way Travis had done not… how long was it ago? Minutes? Hours? He can’t tell.

 

Connor looks up at the centaur, his breath catching in his chest as he tries to gauge Chiron’s expression.

 

It looks the same as it always did.

 

“Please tell me he’s okay.”

 

Chiron squeezes his shoulder. “He’s winded, but recovering. He’s going to be fine.”

 

 _“Oh gods.”_ A breath of relief escapes him and Connor slumps against Travis, who slaps him in his own relief at the positive turn of the situation.

 

“What’d I tell you, bro?” Travis asks him with another hearty slap. “You need to believe in Mitchell more.”

 

Lacy seems to be in the same state as Connor from where she’s practically wilted against the back of the sofa she’d been sitting on, her whole being just… tired, but relieved. They exchange smiles, weak ones; neither of them can seem to break into grins when they haven’t seen Mitchell yet for themselves.

 

“The children of Apollo say to give him a couple of hours to sleep while they discuss and observe what happened.” Chiron tells them by way of saying that they couldn’t visit him yet.

 

“They’re doing their best.” Cedric promises with a soft smile. “Will, Kayla, Austin, and Catherine are all in there right now.”

 

Leo smiles at him. “Annabeth and Nico are helping out too.”

 

“They'll figure it out.” Percy adds.

 

Connor nods gratefully.

 

“Now,” Chiron clears his throat and straightens up and gestures to the kid. “Has she been claimed?”

 

“No.” Lacy says. “But, but I think she’s ours. I mean, Piper brought her back, right?”

 

“Do you have a daddy or a mommy, kid?” Sherman asks.

 

“You need to ask for her name first, dunderhead.” Malcolm says snippily.

 

Lou Ellen clears her throat and says, “boys” by way of warning. They shut up and Travis takes the opportunity to move closer, a friendly smile on his face, a far contrast from the super serious expression he was wearing previously. The wrinkles in his forehead are gone and his eyes have gotten that twinkle back.

 

Connor feels even better seeing his brother at ease.

 

“What’s your name?” Travis asks. “Mine’s Travis, that’s my brother Connor. We’re children of Hermes.”

 

The little girl, she couldn't be eight or nine. “H-Hermes?”

 

“What? No way! Your name’s _Hermes_?!” Travis asks with wide eyes and his mouth falling open.

 

Ah, there it is. A soft giggle escapes her, and she shakes her head, her black pigtails swinging. “No, my name’s Lorella Smythe.”

 

“Lorella Smythe. That’s a nice name.” Connor joins in, getting back into the groove. As co-councilors of Hermes cabin, they’ve had to welcome one too many demigods who have yet been claimed by their godly parents and it always worked best when they did it in tandem. “Did your mommy give that to you? How old are you?”

 

“I’m seven.” Lorella blinks at him with murky brown eyes. “My daddy gave me that name. I don’t have a mommy.”

 

“Incorrect. You most definitely have a godly mother otherwise you’d be a crisp right now.” Malcolm says rubbing his chin. “That at least narrows out a lot of other gods.”

 

“She could be from a minor god, doofus.” Sherman points out looking like he has to physically stop himself from using any swear words.

 

_Those two have so much tension._

Connor’s heart squeezes in his chest as his brain generates words that Mitchell would say if he were here with them. Whispering them to him, eyeing him with a knowing look. Telling him that his child of love senses were always on point.

 

“Is he okay?” Lorella’s voice brings Connor back.

 

Lacy’s trying to fix Lorella’s pigtails into braids to keep it from falling into her face. “Who is, honey?”

 

“The guy who helped me earlier. Piper said,” Lorella covers her mouth with a tiny hand and Lacy has to coax it away, assure her that it was fine. “Piper said we almost died.”

 

The councilors exchanged glances and Travis, being the eldest present, takes the lead with a soft smile. “Yeah, Lorella. You almost did.”

 

“Why were they after us?” Lorella asks him.

 

“Well, did Piper tell you about how you were different? Did your, did you have a Satyr?” Travis asks back.

 

“She told me I was a demigod.” Lorella tilts her head at him. “What’s a satyr?”

 

“He’s a guide. Um, I’m guessing you didn’t see yours and he got caught in the attack earlier and we can’t as him. What the heck did Piper do? What does she know?”

 

Travis clears his throat and interrupts Sherman from saying any more and ultimately freaking Lorella out and then schools his expression into a calm one. “That’s right, you’re a demigod. Do you know what that means?”

 

Lorella shakes her head.

 

Travis moves so that he’s sitting on the floor in front of Lorella who was on the couch. He takes her hands in his looking very much like an older brother to all. “That means that you’re special, very special. You have a parent who’s a god.”

 

“I know that. And Jesus is our brother?”

 

Startled laughs and chuckles break around the rec room and Lorella seems to shrink in herself, her cheeks flushing in embarrassment.

 

“I forgot _that_ God existed, to be honest.” Travis says, shaking their still linked hands together. “Nah, not him. I mean, _Greek_ gods. Ours are at least. We have brothers and sisters who know them as their Roman counterparts.”

 

“I think that’s too much information for a seven year old.” Lacy adds in.

 

“Right.” Travis nods. “Do you know the Greek gods, Lorella?”

 

“No.”

 

“I can teach her about them.” Malcolm says, he’s trying to reign in his excitement at the idea of having someone to unload all his mad information on, and no one stops him as he goes on about doing that.

 

“Make sure she understands at least half the things you say.” Travis says in lieu of a goodbye, not joining in as the other councilors huddle around the sofa so that they can listen in.

 

“Where are you going?” Connor asks.

 

“To the cabin.” Travis seems to forcibly relax himself. “It’s almost dinner time. I bet Cecil’s ready to pull his hair out taking care of the kiddies.”

 

“Right.”

 

Travis shakes his head at him when Connor tries to follow. “You should go visit him. Mitchell, I mean. I’m sure the Apollo kids won’t mind if Chiron says he’s stable and recovering.”

 

Connor sucks in a deep breath. “Okay. Thanks.”

 

“He’s okay, bro.” Travis pulls Connor into a hug, ruffling his curls with a heavy hand before pulling away and leaving the Big House altogether.

 

Connor watches him go, hands shoved into the pockets of his cargo shorts before he steels his nerves and makes his way to the infirmary.

 

He hadn’t notice when Percy or Leo left the rec room, but they’re already there, sitting on one of the cots with Annabeth. Jason is sitting on Piper’s cot, the latter leaning against him, looking bruised but not beaten. Will is standing with a clipboard in his hands, his siblings nowhere in site, talking to Nico who was sitting with his eyes glued to Mitchell’s bed.

 

Oh.

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> On a scale of 1-10 how freaked out were you while reading how Connor was freaking out? 
> 
> I FINALLY have the plot of this story figured out! I have my villains, I have my whys, I have my whats, and I can finally tie together the damn prophecy and the stupid warning.
> 
> See you next time!


	4. The One With The Switch

Mitchell’s shooting him a tired smile and that seems to be the physical extent of his injuries. Whether or not he had been convulsing since the time Travis dragged Connor to the rec room couldn’t be seen from the way he sat on the cot, looking all pretty, apparently absolutely fine.

 

Connor staggers towards the cot and doesn’t even pretend that he wasn’t just an utter wreck the whole time he couldn’t come in and see how Mitchell was doing.

 

The child of Aphrodite catches him with a startled laugh, arms wrapping around his shoulders and a solid presence Connor presses his face into, taking deep lungfuls of air with him smooshed against Mitchell’s chest. He takes absolute comfort in the familiar voice, the warmth, and above all, the steady rise and fall of the chest underneath his face.

 

“Miss me?” Mitchell asks, teasing.

 

“I thought the worse.” Connor admits, voice small. He pulls back at the gentle coaxing of the fingers in his hair and he looks up into Mitchell’s eyes (brown, a milky brown that makes him feel warm inside) and he sighs as their foreheads are pressed together.

 

“I’m sorry for worrying you.”

 

Their lips meet in a soft pressed kiss and Connor revels in the feeling because he thought he’d never get to have this again.

 

Nico clears his throat and gets off the cot so he can join Willl on another, a bright flush on his cheeks. The sun child slings an arm around his shoulders and rests his head against Nico’s, their hair a stark contrast between dark raven black and sun kissed curls.

 

“Do you see why it’s important to keep yourself safe?” Will asks, a bit of the doctor’s voice he uses on infirmary patients seeping in with a touch of worry at the edge.

 

Nico is resolutely quiet, his lips pinched together but he doesn’t pull away from Will, one of his hands snaking to lace their fingers together. Annabeth is giving Percy the same pointed look and Jason’s arms are around Piper, the latter being the one to deliver the scare that had befallen their entire camp at the borders that afternoon.

 

Leo clears his throat. “Calpyso isn’t here. I demand a do-over of this lovey dovey moment when she is!”

 

“You can’t force moments like this.” Annabeth tells him breaking the slightly somber mood and several rounds of chuckles come around as the child of Hephaestus pouts at them all.

 

“That you most definitely can’t.” Connor agrees with her and moves so he can sit properly beside Mitchell on the cot. He keeps their fingers laced together.

 

“So,” Jason’s the one to cut into the slightly teasing mood. He tries his best to keep his voice light, drive the tension in it away and fails remarkably. “Anything you want to share with the class, Pipes?”

 

The eldest child of Aphrodite steels her nerves. “I was with my dad, visiting him because he wanted to introduce me to his new girlfriend, who’s his fiancé now by the way.”

 

“Wow.”

 

“Welcome to the step club.” Percy greets her.

 

Piper smiles at him. “Thanks Percy. Anyways, Butch did send me an Iris message so I was on my way back to camp when I had this urge to just… make a detour. I turned left on some high way back in… I can’t even remember, and kept driving until I pulled up on the side of this suburban house and found her.”

 

“Lorella.” Connor adds helpfully, beside him Mitchell shivers and Connor fusses with the blankets on their cot.

 

“Yeah,” Piper frowns. “She was asleep and I could tell that she was alone. There wasn’t a satyr or anyone around. I just had the feeling that I had to take her to camp. Something brought me to her, probably Mom, so I did.”

 

“Geez, Piper. Are you sure she was alone?” Leo asks. “You could be accused of kidnapping.”

 

“She said she had a dad.” Connor says. “Maybe he was just out?”

 

“No.” Piper says, her voice sure. “There was no one around, I made sure. And the air in that house was… it was different, you guys. You’d have done the same and grabbed her and ran if you were there yourself.”

 

The demigods present exchanged nervous looks with each other.

 

“Has she been claimed?” Jason asks Connor, his eyebrows pulled together. “How old is she?”

 

“She’s seven and she hasn’t been claimed.” Connor pauses. “At least to my knowledge.”

 

“Where is she?” Mitchell asks, speaking up for the first time.

 

“In the rec room.” Connor answers. “Do you want us to bring her here?”

 

“What?” Mitchell blinks at him. “Whatever for?”

 

“Oh, uh. I don’t know. I just thought you’d like to see her.” Connor rubs at the back of his head.

“Lacy thinks she’s Aphrodite’s.” Leo says helpfully. “I think so too since Piper found her and brought her here after all.”

 

“We need an official claiming.” Jason reminds them all. “Until then, she’ll have to stay in the Hermes cabin.”

 

“No problem.” Connor flashes them a thumbs up. “There’s been a lot of empty beds since Percy struck that deal with the gods.”

 

“Best thing I’ve ever done, I think.” Percy says with a tired voice. He leans his head against Annabeth’s shoulder. “Man, I can’t believe I had the balls to do that.”

 

“You did good, Seaweed brain.” The child of Athena gives the head on her shoulder a soft assuring pat. “You did good.”

 

The air in the infirmary changes and there are jokes thrown in, they take comfort in the now instead of worrying about the future or drifting in the past. Will lets them stay until it’s time for dinner, resolutely kicking everyone out, even Mitchell and Piper since he’d already given them a square of ambrosia each.

 

“Just come see me or any of my siblings if you start feeling different.” Will tells them both with a stern look on his face. Behind him, Nico mouths the words “Doctor’s orders!” as Will says it.

 

Percy laughs and leads their little group to the dining pavilion although Mitchell and Connor seem to be distancing themselves a bit since the child of Hermes was being a little too fussy.

 

Will takes some time to straighten up the infirmary, putting away charts and straightening the sheets on the cots before clapping his hands and smiling absolute sunshine on his best friend. “Sorry. Hungry?”

 

“Not really.” Nico admits with a half-hearted shrug.

 

“What’s the matter?” Will’s eyebrows furrow together. “Is it Mitchell? Piper?”

 

“Sorta.” Nico pauses for a minute and Will patiently waits for him. He knows it can be extremely difficult to share things when their godly powers were acting in play since no one can really explain that feeling all too well. “There’s something different about their auras. Mitchell’s, specifically.”

 

“Different how?”

 

“It’s like, it’s like he was on the verge of death while you were treating him. I was keeping close tabs on his life force _because_ of how close he was to losing it and then suddenly…” Nico trails off, like his thoughts have escaped him.

 

“Suddenly what?” Will asks bringing him back.

 

“Suddenly everything’s okay.”

 

Will blows out a gust of air as he mulls over their conversation. “Is that, um, is that a bad thing?”

 

“I don’t know _what_ it is.” Nico huffs. “That’s what’s got me on edge. Whenever someone’s life force is slipping, it usually takes time to get pulled in. I’ve seen you do it before with some of the Ares kids, remember that one time one of them hit their head in the arena?”

 

“That was Xiao.” Will nods. “Longest nine hours of my life.”

 

“And her’s too, I bet.” Nico says. “I watched how your powers while healing her tugged and pulled to keep her life force _in_ but Mitchell’s…. his just, snapped back in like someone flipped a gods damned switch!”

 

“Language, darling. Tut, tut what would the kids say?”

 

Nico sends Will an unamused look that the child of Apollo grins at him before pulling on a serious face.

 

“Hmm. I can’t say I know everything that happens or what exactly goes into the process when I heal someone.” Will confesses rubbing his chin in thought. “We mostly go by instinct, sing the hymns and songs, and hope for the best.”

 

“I’m not questioning your methods.” Nico defends himself. “I’m just saying what happened with Mitchell’s got me confused.”

 

“Maybe you can talk to your dad.” It’s clearly not a question; Will is fully supportive of Hades’ active role in Nico’s life and often encourages him to speak to his godly parent.

 

The younger of the two (technically older if they were going by years) rolls his eyes. “You know, you tell me to talk to my dad so much I’m beginning to think _you_ want to talk to him.”

 

“Maybe someday I will.” Will says and he tries not to put in too much hope in his voice. Tries to squash down the nervous fluttering bird in his stomach (because there’s no way that feeling was conjured by mere butterflies). It takes an incredible amount of effort to clamp down on the urge to burst into song because this was real life and not a musical. “Someday soon, maybe?”

 

Nico gives him a surprised then a suspicious look. “Are you low key telling me you want to die, Solace?”

 

Will hangs his head for a second and then shakes it. “Nah, death boy. I think I enjoy being alive too much right now. I’m in good company.”

 

“Then don’t talk about talking to my dad anytime soon. That’s only going to happen when you die since he’s the god of the Underworld and all.” Nico says very seriously.

 

 _‘Not unless I date you and inevitably end up talking to him to help keep you safe. Which isn’t ever going to happen, I guess.’_ Will thinks bitterly. “Right. You’re right. No more meeting the parents jokes. Let’s go eat?”

 

“But I’m not hungry.” Nico reminds him, easily following him out of the infirmary.

 

“Too bad, death boy. If I’m not allowed to die any time soon then neither are you.”

 

* * *

Travis is honestly just relieved when Connor and Mitchell walk into the dining pavilion, the latter looking alive and well. The children of the Aphrodite cabin cheer when Connor leads their brother to their table and greet him with warm hugs and exclamations of ‘You’re okay!’.

 

An angry Drew pinches Mitchell’s side and snarls at him, grey eyes glinting with absolute fury. “If you ever make any of us worry like that ever again, I’m telling Mom to cut off your subscription to Zalora and every other online shopping site!”

 

Travis snorts at such an Aphrodite-y threat and no one’s surprised when Mitchell’s eyes go wide and the rest of the Aphrodite siblings are rowdier than the norm. They welcome Piper the same way, hugging her, asking after her.

 

The son of Hermes turns his head ever so slightly so he can look at the newest addition to their dining table. No one in the other cabins had asked about Lorella, at least not where she could hear them. Chiron had made an announcement that was unclaimed and to treat her well, and honestly, no one but the Apollo cabin and the councilors had seen how severe whatever it was that happened to Mitchell after the encounter with the monsters so no one was really all too worried.

 

Connor is a happy but tired lump that slumps into the seat in front of Travis after he’d made sure to chuck some food into Hestia’s hearth and prayed (in gratitude probably) to the gods.

 

“How you holding up, bud?”

 

“I’m great.” Connor tells him with feeling. “I’m just happy he’s okay.”

 

Travis nods and tucks into his dinner, enjoying the spaghetti and meatballs that popped right in front of him. Today had most definitely been a long day. After dinner, it had been clearly longer for some.

 

The eldest child of Hermes nudged Connor with his foot under the table. “Go to bed. Mitchell’s with his siblings, he’ll be fine.”

  
Connor’s blinking at him with half-lidded eyes but nods begrudgingly, the events of the day finally taking its toll on him. He wouldn’t even last the campfire song. “I’ll just go and say goodnight.”

 

“Okay.” Travis makes a shooing motion at him and turns to the rest of his siblings, makes sure they’re done eating and tells them to spend their time however they like as long as they’re in the cabin before curfew.

 

He asks Alice to watch after Lorella to help her find her way around camp for the night. He does however ask her if she remembers which cabin was hers for the time being.

 

“Cabin eleven.” Lorella says with a tilt of her hair, her dark black hair out of its pigtails and falling down her slim shoulders.

 

“Right you are.” Travis smiles and with one last glance at all his siblings, makes his way to the Demeter cabin with the bravado and swag he honestly doesn’t have the energy for.

 

Katie sees him immediately and raises a curious eyebrow at him, waiting for his approach.

 

“Did any of you see a beautiful child of Demeter around? Long wild locks of strawberry curls and eyes warm like the earth on a sunny summer day?” Travis pointedly looks around, avoiding Katie before sighing. “Nope? Gardner! I guess I’ll have to settle for you.”

 

“Sooooo charming, Stoll.” Katie rolls her eyes and laughs with her siblings at Travis’ exaggeratedly put off pout and stands up. “Miranda?”

 

“I’ve got this.”

 

“Thanks.” Katie nudges Travis with her hip and they make their way out of the dining pavilion to a spot near the camp fire where some of the Apollo children were already getting ready and arguing about which song to sing.

 

“How are you?” Katie asks him once they’re settled on a log bench.

 

Travis places his hands behind him and lets out an incredibly long sigh. “Tired.”

 

“One worded answers.” Katie observes with a calculating look on her face and mimes taking notes on the palm of her hand mostly for Travis’ entertainment. “Mhm, what else? What else?”

 

Travis appreciates this moment of humor and laughs, appreciating the way the firelight makes the red in Katie’s hair shine brighter despite it being night. “Happy. Now that you’re here.”

 

“More words, mhmm.” Katie snaps her fingers. “I think that’s an insane improvement!”

 

“Am I healed?” Travis asks playfully.

 

“Nah, we’re all broken here.” Katie reaches forward to take Travis’ cheeks and pinches at them. “How are you really feeling, baby?”

 

“I’m really okay.” Travis tells her. “It’s Connor who got the absolute scare of his life. Seeing Mitchell like that.”

 

“I heard he took the worse of the hits at the border this afternoon but he looked fine at dinner.”

 

“Them Apollo kids are absolute miracle workers.” Travis agrees, eyes moving to look at the mix of kids arguing over The Demigod In Me Wants Pancakes and Who Let The Ares Kids Out. So far the latter was winning.

 

“Do you _want_ to get chased around by Sherman and the others?!” An infuriated Kayla asks.

 

Austin scoffs and rolls his eyes at her. “We can outrun them easily.”

 

“Oh yeah?! And what happens when Sherman asks Malcolm for a strategy? You know he can’t say no to him.”

 

“What? Those two hate each other!”

 

“Ugh you are so blind!”

 

Katie snorts, wrapping her arms around her knees and pulling them close to her chest so she can rest her head on them. “Sherman and Malcolm, huh? Is that Aphrodite cabin approved?”

 

“I wouldn’t know.” Travis shakes his head. “It’s kinda silly, or something.”

 

Katie looks at him. “What is?”

 

“This. The joking, the calm.” Travis looks up at the sky, watches the starts winking down at him. “A couple of hours ago I thought we were going to lose a camper.”

 

“It happens.” Katie tells him, and it’s not for a lack of sympathy. They, along with every other demigod at camp, knew that this happened to them.

 

They died too easily, they died too soon.

 

“And it’s not like Connor or anybody else can step up to Mitchell and say things like ‘don’t you ever do that again!’ or ‘what were you thinking putting yourself in danger?’ because the moment someone thinks twice about rushing into battle, the moment someone second guesses their ability to stay alive is that one moment that can cost them their last breath.” Travis closes his eyes. “All we can do is go through every moment like it’ll be the last.”

 

“Hey,” Katie says softly and waist until Travis is looking at her. “We’re demigods. We’ve been through worse. We lived through and stopped the apocalypse with Mother Gaea.”

 

“Right.” Travis leans forward and presses a kiss to the side of Katie’s head. “Sometimes I wish I could be like my classmates and worry just about class.”

 

“Oh ho, are you saying you kinda like going to school, Stoll?”

 

“It’s not bad.” Travis admits. “Makes me feel normal.”

 

Katie scoots closer to him, kisses him on the cheek and wraps her arms around his neck so she can lean her head on his shoulder. “We’ll be okay. We’ll just take it one moment at a time.”

 

“Yeah.” Travis agrees, inhaling deeply and taking in the forever-earthy scent Katie seemed to have.

 

One moment at a time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> FINALLY! FINALLY GOT IN THE TRATIE AND SOLANGELO MOMENTS I'VE BEEN WANTING TO ADD SINCE-- I'm not sure which installment of this series ahaha
> 
> Mitchell's apparently fine? Being clueless sure is hard. 
> 
> Little Lorella, what do you know?

**Author's Note:**

> You read the tags right people, it's a multichap! I can't write what I want for this installment in just 3 chapters so I'm thinking maybe 10?
> 
> To the people who read my SolAngelo fics, I'm so sorry for not updating in so long, I've just been swallowed by other fandoms and slowly returning with Conchell T w T


End file.
